Katie Holmes Poses Topless for Glamour, Talks About Dating and Parenting After Divorcing Tom Cruise

Actress also talks about her role opposite Meryl Streep in The Giver

By Zach Johnson Jul 08, 2014 1:52 PMTags
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Who knew Katie Holmes had it in her?

The actress, who typically wears modest clothing on the red carpet and in her everyday life, poses topless for Glamour's August 2014 issue. Striking a seductive pose while wearing belted denim pants, the 35-year-old Giver actress tells the magazine, "I have a tightly edited closet. I like what I like. And I repeat a lot. But I'm always comfortable in jeans—I feel like I can really do anything when I'm in them."

In the cover story, Holmes also opens up about the idea of dating after divorcing Tom Cruise two years ago. "I am really focused on motherhood and work right now," the single star insists. "Motherhood is the greatest gift," Suri Cruise's mom continues. "When I became a mother, my life completely changed."

What's been the biggest change? "I've seen Frozen a lot," she says of watching the animated Disney musical. "But the biggest change? I think you don't know—I didn't know how much love I had in me. It's overwhelming. Every day I discover more about this spectacular human being I get to be the mother of."

Holmes takes pride in being a hands-on mom. "Plain pasta with butter is a hit," she says. "Chocolate-chip pancakes are a hit—together with chocolate-chip cookies. I do a homemade chicken finger. That's a hit."

The movie star cherishes such moments of normality with her 8-year-old daughter. "My family has been so crucial to my outlook on life. I started acting at 17 and had success at an early age, where all of a sudden people knew who I was," the Dawson's Creek veteran explains. "But my parents always treated me the exact same way at home and reminded me of gratitude. And that's been a grounding force."

Holmes next appears in The Giver, which was adapted from the popular young adult novel. "I loved the Lois Lowry book," she shares. "There's this community that has decided to create a life that has no pain but also has no real joy. The director, Phil Noyce, created a society that's so 'ideal'—it's pretty sci-fi."

Though she didn't read Lowry's novel during her youth, Holmes says it's "a really important read." She adds that her favorite authors growing up were Maya Angelou, Somerset Maugham and J.D. Salinger.

Bringing a modern literary classic to life on the big screen was a thrill for Holmes, particularly because of the A-list cast. "Being in a movie with Meryl Streep was a huge dream come true. When the cameras rolled, she was spot-on and such a pro," she tells Glamour. "It was just a thrill to walk on set with her."